Most Expensive Musical Instrument

“The Stradivarius violin, known to musicians worldwide as ‘The Lady Tennant’ was recently purchased at Christie’s for $2,032,000, the highest amount ever paid for a musical instrument at auction.”

The Lady Tennant was crafted in 1699, and was first owned by Charles Philippe Lafont, a contemporary of Nicolo Paganini. On June 15, 2005 (that’s tomorrow!), “the most expensive musical instrument purchased at auction will be played in public for the first time in twenty-five years at the Kennedy Center by Tchaikovsky prize winner and Violinmasterclass.com soloist, Yang Liu“.

The instrument was bestowed on Liu by the Stradivari Society as an indefinite loan. “In accepting the honor, Mr. Liu paid homage to the new ‘Lady’ in his life: ‘I have been given a soul mate for life, one with whom I shall share the most intimate communication with the world.'”